Disclaimer: I don't own APH, and no-one's paying me for this stuff!

"T-Toris?"

Latvia stood in the doorway of Lithuania's room, trembling as always. "Hmm?" Lithuania blinked at him, squinting his eyes against the crack of light beaming onto his pillow.

"I can't sleep. Can I sleep in your bed?"

"Sure."

Latvia came in, blanket trailing behind him, and closed the door. He padded across the carpet like a mouse, looking around the dark room as if he expected his nightmares to come leaping out at him, and slipped into Lithuania's bed. It was only a single, but they were both slim and there was room enough.

Latvia snuggled back against his fellow country with an unhappy sigh, his soft woollen blanket gentle against Lithuania's skin. "What's the matter, Raivis?"

"Toris…have you ever had sex?"

Lithuania, now fully awake, was jarred out of his doziness by the sheer shock of Latvia's question. "Have I…what?"

"It's just that…I have. Russia…well he…I just wondered…have you?"

"Yes." He was about to continue, to ask how, and where, and why, when Latvia turned to him with a miserable expression that killed his words on his lips.

"Does it always hurt like that?" Latvia's eyes were heavy with tears, and he was blushing. "Maybe there's something wrong with me. He said it would be fun, but I didn't like it. D-Do you think I'm ill?"

Lithuania felt a pang of sadness and sympathy that made his chest hurt, grabbing for Latvia, holding him against his chest. "No, it doesn't always hurt like that. Ivan's…Ivan's just rough, that's all."

"H-Have you and he-?"

"Yes."

Latvia tucked his head under Lithuania's chin, sniffing. "He's always hurting me."

"I know. I know. But one day I'm sure we'll be independent. Maybe you'll meet someone you'll want to ally with, and…" Lithuania felt his voice choke as warm memories flooded his mind, of long lazy afternoons in the fields with Poland, and long lazy evenings sharing stories and drinks, and…

"I'm afraid of him," Latvia whispered, his fingers imprinting themselves on Lithuania's skin. "I'm always so scared that…"

"That…?"

"That he'll make me part of him and I w-won't exist any more! Or he'll hurt me so much I can't…can't get better again!" Latvia clung to his bedmate, shaking worse than ever, sniffing in a way that suggested that his tears were about to spill.

Lithuania held him as tightly as he could. "It'll get better, Raivis. It will." He kissed the top of Latvia's head, sighing, snuggling closer and kissing his forehead as well.

"He kissed me, too. But I didn't like that either," Latvia said, his voice buzzing against Lithuania's throat.

"Well, he isn't a very good kisser." Russia had none of Poland's finesse, none of his gentle, teasing skill. Lithuania thought of the fields again and felt his own eyes starting to fill.

"I've never kissed anyone else, so I don't know."

"No-one else ever?"

"No." Lithuania looked down at Latvia's mop-head-hair, puzzled.

"But weren't you and Edward very close at one point?"

"He didn't kiss me."

Lithuania wondered how it would feel, to only ever have been kissed and touched by someone as brutal as Russia. At least he had his memories of Poland to feel encouraged by. He felt, a little guiltily, that Latvia deserved to be kissed by someone who cared about him. And seeing as there was only him around…

"Raivis?"

"Mm?"

Nuzzling down, Lithuania found Latvia's lips with his own. They were soft, just like Poland's, and they parted gently against his tongue. Latvia stopped shaking, instead freezing completely, stiff and unmoving as a granite wall. Lithuania kissed him as slowly and gently as he could, until he was fairly certain Latvia had gotten the message, then tilted his head back, smiling.

"Oh," Was all Latvia seemed able to say, sliding one hand off Lithuania to touch his lips. "He…He isn't very good is he?"

"No."

"Is that…how it used to be with you and Felix?"

Lithuania had to look away from Latvia's enquiring, innocent eyes. "Yes."

"I'm sorry…" Latvia cuddled up under his chin again.

"Don't be. It's fine. Let's sleep, anyway, Raivis."

Latvia's hands tightened briefly on his skin, and Lithuania realised that it was the nearest to a hug that Latvia could offer, curled up against him. He kissed his fellow prisoner's forehead one more time and closed his eyes.

Sleep took a long time to come, and when it did it carried the scent of rye with it.